The Hang Out Place

I can't quite figure out why, but my house is the gathering place for most of the neighborhood children. I love it and hate it at the same time. I LOVE it because Audrey can hang out outside and she has many babysitters. I love it because I know that my kids are not playing playstation games that have blood squirting out and bad words. I love it because the kids like me. The challenges are that I go inside for a half an hour and when I come out there is usually a catastrophie. Today the kids soaked the lawn where the legs of the swingset are and then swung on it to make 3 inch deep holes in my grass at each leg. They did it so the swing set would not tip over. They were thinking, kind of. I said, to Ivan (Austin's friend): "How would you feel if you made a picture that you really liked and then I took a knife and stabbed it; BAM, BAM, BAM". "Um, scared", he said. I was trying to make a point but I couldn't help but laugh. Now it is late and I am laughing so hard I am crying. But after that, at the time, I was still frusturated about gaping holes in my grass and I was feeling like they were not understanding the concept so I went inside to get a sheet, 3 safety pins and a sign that said, "I am in time out. I put some holes on the grass. I was going to drape the sheet over the swingset and pin the sign on it. I didn't know what else to do. It was my attempt at getting the children to respect my property. I came outside and I found Austin and Ivan diligently filling up the holes with dirt. It was so sweet. They did get it! My heart was softened and the swingset did not have to go in time out. A few days before that, the kids broke the handle to turn on the hose. So it's a trade off.